2 Symptoms

This tumor grows slowly so the initially symptoms of esthesioneuroblastoma are not so obvious.

The average time gap between the first symptoms and diagnosis is 6 months.

The most common symptom that is seen in esthesioneuroblastoma is nasal obstruction on one side. This is usually followed by nosebleeds (epistaxis). Later there changes in the sense of smell or even loss of smell can be experienced.

Other symptoms include: ulcers in the mouth, loss of teeth, nausea ,headaches, pain on the face and changes in vision or even blindness.

3 Causes

The main cause of Esthesioneuroblastoma is not known.

Several area where this tumor is suspected to arise from include:

The olfactory epithelium (in most cases)

Autonomic ganglion of the nasal mucosa

Spheno palatine gandlion

There is a high possibility that several factors give rise to Esthesioneuroblastoma.

These include:

Genetics

Pollution of the environment

Cigarette smoking

4 Making a Diagnosis

Diagnosis of esthesioneuroblastoma includes:

Endoscopic examination where an endoscope (a tube with a camera at one end) is inserted through the nose or mouth to check for signs of a tumor.

A sample of the tissue (biopsy) is taken to be examined in the lab.

A CT scan and an MRI can show the exaxt location and size of the tumor.

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